


Slow Dance

by stellarmeadow



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: And Eddie is here for it, Buck has game, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, UST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26296408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarmeadow/pseuds/stellarmeadow
Summary: Buck’s hand was warm, lingering on Eddie’s shoulder as Buck stood. “Great,” he said, that same warmth carrying through to his voice. “It’s a date.”A date?Eddie watched through the glass as Buck hurried off, jogging up the stairs to the kitchen.A date? Like, adate?Oh shit.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 325
Kudos: 827
Collections: 9-1-1 ▶ Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz / Evan "Buck" Buckley





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Having a little writer's block, so I wrote something that popped into my head listening to Kelly Clarkson's "Slow Dance"

It should have been a _moment_. Some kind of event, after one too many brushes with death, or in the middle of a fire with water raining down from hoses. 

Instead, it was a random Tuesday.

Eddie was tying his shoes when Buck dropped down onto the bench beside him. “Hey, Eddie.” 

“Hi.” Eddie gave him a quick glance with a smile as he finished the bow in his laces. 

“So,” Buck said, “what are you doing tonight?”

 _Sitting alone in an empty house had been his plan, stopping himself short of texting Chris to see how camp is going._ “Nothing much. Why?”

“Maddie was telling me about this new restaurant over in Melrose. Italian. Wanna go?”

“Sure.” 

Buck’s hand was warm, lingering on Eddie’s shoulder as Buck stood. “Great,” he said, that same warmth carrying through to his voice. “It’s a date.” 

A date? 

Eddie watched through the glass as Buck hurried off, jogging up the stairs to the kitchen.

A date? Like, a _date_?

Oh shit. 

***

It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about going on a date with Buck. Well, to be fair, most of his thoughts had been about what would happen in bed after dates. 

But still.

Buck hadn’t been completely clear. Was this an actual date? Or was that just a casual ‘it’s a date’ like ‘okay, sure, that’s the plan’?

And Buck’s behavior hadn’t exactly been any indicator. He’d been the same as usual all day. Happy, definitely, but then Buck’s default was happy. 

But was he happier today? Or was Eddie imagining it because he was spending so much time watching him?

By the end of their shift, Eddie still wasn’t sure. He was looking forward to dinner—any time spent with Buck was something to look forward to—but it would have been nice to know what to expect.

Buck caught up with Eddie as he was getting his stuff out of his locker. “So,” Buck said, his voice low, “okay if I pick you up at six?”

Eddie nodded. 

“Great,” Buck said, with a squeeze of Eddie’s shoulder. “See you soon.” 

He jogged off again, leaving Eddie still none the wiser.

***

Eddie was buttoning up the fourth shirt he’d tried when Buck knocked on the door. Eddie checked himself in the mirror once more before hurrying to answer. 

“You look amazing,” Buck said, eyes traveling the length of Eddie’s body. 

Yeah, that definitely felt like a date. “So do you,” Eddie said, admiring the way the deep blue shirt worked with Buck’s eyes, especially when they lit up at the compliment. 

“Thanks.” Buck put his hand on Eddie’s elbow to guide him toward the Jeep. “Come on, we don’t want to miss our reservations.”

Reservations also felt like a date. Then again, maybe Buck had just been wanting to go to this place. Or maybe he’d had a date with someone else and it had fallen through. 

“What’s up with you?” Buck asked, as he pulled up to a red light.

“What?” 

Buck glanced at him as the light turned green. “You’ve been quiet all day.”

Eddie shrugged. “Really? Sorry, I didn’t mean to be.”

“As long as you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, Buck.” Eddie took a chance and put a hand on Buck’s thigh. “Seriously, I’m fine.”

Buck’s blinding smile was worth it, as was the warmth of Buck’s hand as it covered Eddie’s and kept it there.

So, yeah. Definitely a date.

***

The restaurant was nice. Quiet and low-key, with soft lighting and music, but nothing that screamed over the top romance.

Dinner was delicious, and he and Buck had never lacked for conversation, so the evening felt somewhat normal, apart from the sparks that tingled their way up Eddie’s legs every time his knees brushed against Buck’s under the table. 

They lingered over dessert, the way Buck licked his spoon sending shivers up Eddie’s spine. But eventually they were done, Buck had paid the bill, and they were back in the Jeep. Buck pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street before reaching for Eddie’s hand, holding onto it for most of the ride home. 

He let go long enough to get out at Eddie’s, but joined their hands again as they walked up to Eddie’s door. “You want to come in?” Eddie asked. 

Buck shook his head, then shrugged. “Well, yes, but I should go home.” 

“Why?” The question was out before Eddie thought better of it. 

“Because if I come in, I might not want to leave.”

Eddie licked his lips. “Would that be a bad thing?”

Buck smiled and ducked his head, and if Eddie hadn’t already fallen hard for the guy, he would have right there and then. “Some things,” Buck said quietly, as he leaned in, “are worth the wait.”

He kissed Eddie, soft and warm, just a hint of what would happen if they went inside right now, and Eddie wanted more of it. 

Before he could grab hold, though, Buck broke the kiss, stepping back out of reach. “Movies tomorrow night?” he asked. 

Eddie nodded. 

Buck smiled. “It’s a date.”

Yeah, Eddie thought, as Buck said goodnight. It’s a date.

\--


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I thought this was a one shot...Eddie apparently thought differently. Hope you enjoy a second date as much as they do! 
> 
> Thank you for all the kind comments on the first date--like so many people, I have been having a really tough time of it lately, and all the lovely words made me so, so happy!

Eddie woke the next morning to a tingling in his cheek where Buck had kissed it, and a text message from Buck. 

_Pick you up at six?_

He should probably insist on driving. Or at least meeting at the theater. But…Buck had asked him out on a date. And honestly…it felt kind of good not having to do anything but get ready.

_Sounds good!_

The rest of the day was relatively normal. With Christopher gone, there wasn’t a lot of cleaning to do, so Eddie fixed a few things he’d been meaning to get around to repairing, replying to random messages from Buck as he went. Chores done, he got in a work out before taking a shower. 

Jeans and a white Henley seemed just about right for a movie. Judging by the look Buck gave him, it was definitely the right choice. They kept up a steady stream of conversation on the way to the theater, Eddie’s hand somehow finding its way onto Buck’s thigh again as he drove. 

Dinner was movie theater food, which Eddie insisted on paying for. Buck looked as though he might put up a fight for a second before just smiling and saying thank you. 

The movie wasn’t exactly hard to follow—action movies rarely were—but Eddie wasn’t used to being quite so distracted while watching one. The heat of Buck’s arm pressed against him, his scent so close Eddie couldn’t help but smell it every time he inhaled, the way their legs would brush against each other’s as they shifted in their seats all combined for a memory-zapping haze.

By the time Buck finished sucking popcorn butter off his fingers, Eddie had forgotten who they were supposed to be rooting for on screen.

About halfway through the movie, Buck ensured Eddie would have no idea what was going on in the rest of it as he slid an arm around Eddie’s shoulders. Eddie leaned into him, hand finding its place on Buck’s leg again, and just enjoyed the moment. 

He missed Buck’s warmth as soon as the lights came up and they moved apart. Buck gave him a smile before reaching for Eddie’s hand, lacing their fingers together as they left the theater, and not letting go until they got to the Jeep. 

Eddie found his spot on Buck’s thigh again, letting his thumb wander slowly back and forth, loving the way it made Buck’s muscles tense and Buck bite into his lower lip like he was trying to hold something back. 

Eddie really wished he wouldn’t hold back.

They made it to Eddie’s door, hand in hand. “Thanks for the date,” Buck said, smiling down at Eddie as if he was something special. The look made Eddie feel like he was glowing inside and out.

“Thanks for asking,” Eddie said, smiling back. 

Buck leaned in, lips capturing Eddie’s this time, instead of just landing on his cheek. Eddie could swear he felt the indentation where Buck had been biting at his lip, as his tongue slid over Buck’s mouth before it opened, deepening the kiss. 

Before Eddie could pull him closer, though, Buck stepped back, out of Eddie’s embrace, smiling at Eddie’s groan in response. 

“I’d better go,” Buck said. 

Eddie sighed. “Or you could stay….”

Buck bit his lip again and Eddie balled his hands into fists to avoid grabbing for him. “Not just yet, okay?” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said, taking a few more steps back. “And maybe we can go out Friday night?”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I…yeah, that sounds good.” 

Buck took a few more steps toward the Jeep. “Night, Eddie.” 

“Night, Buck.”

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments feed my soul! Want to talk more Buddie? Find me on [tumblr](https://stellarm.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

“You know,” Buck said, his voice low in Eddie’s ear, “it takes a lot to make that look good.”

Eddie laughed, looking down at his outfit. He was half out of his bunker gear, with just the fire pants and suspenders over his t-shirt. “Is it the bulky pants that leave everything to the imagination?” Eddie asked. “Or is it the heavy layer of soot?”

Buck stepped in front of him, looking around either side of the two fire engines that flanked them before he said, voice still low, “It’s the suspenders.”

“Really?” Eddie was still laughing as he met Buck’s eyes, the look there doing nothing to stop Eddie’s smile. “Why the suspenders?”

Buck looked around again, then leaned in, one hand gripping one of Eddie’s suspenders to pull him in closer, until their noses were almost touching. “Because they make such great handles.”

Before Eddie could close the distance, before he could even do much more than lick at the ghost of Buck’s breath on his lips, Buck had let go and stepped back. “So,” Buck said, “it’s Friday.”

“Yeah, and I think someone promised me a date tonight.”

“I did,” Buck said. “And I was thinking we’d do something a little different.”

“Such as?”

Buck smiled. “Wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise,” he said, as he started to walk away. “Pick you up at six?”

“Okay.”

“Oh, and wear a suit,” Buck said over his shoulder, before he disappeared around the end of one of the trucks.

***  
Eddie hurried to open the door at Buck’s knock, only to stop and stare. Buck was hot in just about anything, especially his dress uniform, but nothing had prepared Eddie for The Suit.

“Earth to Eddie.”

“Sorry, what?”

Buck’s grin said he probably knew what. “I was just asking if you were ready to go.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Eddie locked up. “Let’s go.”

In the Jeep, Eddie’s hand immediately found its new favorite spot on Buck’s thigh as Eddie told Buck all about Christopher’s latest email.

“So basically,” Eddie summarized, “he wants to be a firefighting zoologist who farms in his spare time.”

“I’m pretty sure a firefighting zoologist doesn’t have enough spare time to farm.”

“Yeah, well, let’s not spoil his dreams just yet.”

Buck laughed as he turned off the engine, grabbing Eddie’s hand before he could remove it from Buck’s thigh. “Hey, did I mention you look amazing?” Buck asked.

“Likewise.” Eddie straightened his tie. “And you haven’t even seen the best part yet.”

Buck blinked rapidly. “The best part?” he said, after a moment. “What’s that?”

Eddie pulled his hand away and opened the door. “You have your secrets. I have mine,” he said, as he got out of the Jeep.

Dinner was at a nice restaurant, but one they were a little over dressed for. “So, where are we going after dinner?” Eddie asked.

“As a wise man once said, ‘you have your secrets. I have mine.’”

No amount of questions or nagging would get the answer out of Buck, not that Eddie didn’t try. Eventually he gave up and just enjoyed the food and the conversation.

When they’d finished, Buck drove them a short distance away and parked on the edge of what looked like an industrial park. Based on the benches and trees with hanging lights outside, Eddie assumed it wasn’t. 

Buck grabbed his hand as they walked up to one of the buildings, people and conversation drifting in and out of the open door. It wasn’t until they walked inside that Eddie realized it was an art gallery. It took a moment more for the riot of color—most of it a familiar combination of yellow, orange and red—to register. 

“A firefighter-themed art show?” Eddie said, glancing up at Buck.

His smile was a little uncertain. “Yeah, I’ve been wanting to see it, but…should I have asked? If it’s too much….”

“No, it’s great, I just….” Eddie looked around at the depictions of what they did every day. “I guess I never thought of what we do as art.”

“I read this piece on the exhibit the other day,” Buck said, as they started forward to look at the pieces on the wall. “About all the different inspirations. Some of it was the colors, but the ones that stood out the most were all the people inspired by firefighters who’d made a difference in their lives. Saved them, saved loved ones, been there at their worst times. I wanted to see what had come from that.”

Eddie squeezed Buck’s hand and looked up at him. “I love it.” 

Buck let out a long breath and squeezed Eddie’s hand in return. They made their way around the walls, taking time to really look at the works, to appreciate brush strokes that made depth in the flames and colors that blended to make pictures more than what they seemed at first glance. 

The piece they stared at the longest, though, was a close up of a firefighter, from the shoulders up. It could have been Buck or Eddie, or any of their fellow firefighters, not just from the look of the person, but from the words that stood out on the canvas. 

_First in. Last out._

“Wow,” Buck breathed, after a moment. 

“Yeah.” It was a sobering reminder of their jobs, but also proof that what they did mattered to others. That people understood the risk and the potential for sacrifice. 

That they were seen.

“This was a great idea,” Eddie said a little later, as they were walking out. “Thanks.”

“Glad you liked my secret. Especially since you haven’t told me yours yet.”

“Oh, that?” Eddie shrugged, sliding his suit jacket off his shoulders in the process. He caught the jacket with one hand and folded it over his arm. “Warm night, isn’t it?”

He had to turn then, because Buck had stopped walking. “Something wrong?” Eddie asked.

Buck cleared his throat before hurrying to catch up. “Nope,” he said, his voice a little higher than usual. “Nothing wrong. Nice suspenders, though.”

“Thanks.” Eddie didn’t bother to keep any of the smugness out of his smile. “I’d had them for a while but decided tonight was the perfect time to break them out.”

“You should wear them more often,” Buck said, as they got to the Jeep. 

Eddie waited for Buck to get in the Jeep beside him before he said, “Ask nicely and I might.”

The look Buck gave him as he started the car was as much like fire as the paintings they’d just seen. 

***

Buck walked Eddie to his door, stopping on the doorstep. “Thanks for tonight,” Eddie said, hand idly fiddling with one of his suspenders. 

Buck’s eyes flickered to Eddie’s hand on the suspender before meeting his gaze. “It was nice,” he said distractedly. 

“Something wrong?”

A scorching look was all Eddie got before Buck grabbed at a suspender and pulled Eddie in for a kiss that was just as hot. Buck’s arms snaked around Eddie’s back, one hand fisting the suspender where it joined the two straps, the other holding Eddie’s head. 

By the time they came up for air, Eddie was ready to just drop down to his knees right then and there.

Buck, however, took a step back until he was just close enough to have a hand wrapped around one of the suspenders in front, but no closer. 

“Sure you don’t want to come in and help me take these off?” Eddie asked.

“Oh I do,” Buck said, eyes roaming up and down Eddie’s body. “But not tonight.” He leaned in for a soft, too-short kiss. “Night, Eddie.”

He was halfway down the walk before Eddie remembered to call, “Night.”

\--


	4. Chapter 4

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen this movie.”

Buck laughed. “Eddie, do you realize how many times a day that’s said to me?”

Eddie shifted on to his side, wrinkling the blanket under him in the process. “Okay, fine, but still, The Natural is a classic.”

And one of his favorite movies of all time, which he might have mentioned to Buck. How Buck had managed to find somewhere playing it in a park on a big screen, however, was a mystery. But here they were, watching the movie under the stars. 

At least he assumed there were stars. In LA it was impossible to tell—all he saw when he looked up was a dark sort of haze.

“I miss them,” Eddie said.

Buck frowned at him. “Hm?”

“The stars. I miss them.” Eddie laughed. “I mean, the ones in the sky. The celebrities all over this place aren’t quite the same.”

Buck glanced up at the sky, frown deepening when he looked at Eddie again. “Yeah,” Buck said, “it’s kind of weird at first, and then you get used to it. Until you don’t.”

Which shouldn’t have made sense, but it did. “Exactly.”

Buck’s frown cleared, his whole expression shifting into one Eddie was starting to recognize every time now. One that never failed to stir a fire deep inside him that never entirely went out when Buck was around. 

The first kiss was soft and easy, but Eddie held on, deepening each one by degrees until Buck finally pulled back, breathing a little hard. 

“Better stop now,” Buck said. “Or we might get arrested for public indecency.”

Eddie might actually be okay with that if it meant he got his hands on naked Evan Buckley. Then again, with the average time of police response, maybe not. 

With his luck, Athena would take the call.

“Fine,” Eddie muttered.

Buck put his arm around Eddie, pulling him close and placing a kiss on his temple. “I thought this was your favorite movie.”

“It is.”

“Then tell me why.”

Eddie thought about the story, the journey that Hobbs takes through it all and how with all the problems and the corruption, the good guys win. “Because it’s not afraid to look at the ugly side of almost everything in life and still see a miracle.”

The somewhat awed look on Buck’s face had Eddie blushing. “What?” Eddie said finally.

“Just…you.” Buck kissed him before turning back to watch the movie, head against Eddie’s. 

***

At the end of the night, they walked hand in hand to Eddie’s door. Eddie got them as close to the door as he could, but Buck stopped before Eddie could open it, pulling Eddie into a kiss that left him pressed against the door, being held up by it on one side and Buck on the other as he was kissed within an inch of his life. 

But then Buck pulled away. “I really need to go,” he said. 

Eddie gripped the front of Buck’s t-shirt, holding back a groan. “You don’t have to.”

“No, but I need to.” 

“Why?”

Buck’s smile was soft. “I told you, some things are worth the wait.”

He leaned in for one more kiss before saying goodnight, throwing a smile over his shoulder until he was almost to the Jeep. 

***


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd intended to get this done sooner, but I was so busy working 15 hour days that I didn't even notice that I'd developed COVID pneumonia until I dragged myself to the respiratory clinic today. So I wrote this to cheer me up.

A rare 12 hour shift on Saturday ended with an impromptu dinner date. Once again, Buck dropped Eddie at his door with kisses and a promise to pick up him up for a real date at eight in the morning. 

“You know,” Eddie said, “if you just came in and slept here, it would be so much easier to get up and go in the morning.”

Buck leaned in for a kiss. “If I stayed here, we wouldn’t get any sleeping done,” he said, lips brushing against Eddie’s as he spoke between kisses. “Besides,” he added, as he pulled back, “all my hiking stuff is at my place.”

Eddie sighed, but he’d gotten used to this by now. Was actually enjoying the anticipation, if he was completely honest with himself. 

Didn’t mean his dick didn’t have other ideas.

After one more kiss, Buck stepped back. “See you in the morning.” 

“See you then.”

***

Buck knocked on the door right at eight, just as Eddie was shoving his feet into hiking boots. Any lingering grogginess from a night spent dreaming about all the sex he was not getting disappeared at the sight of Buck in khaki cargo shorts and a loose, bright blue tank top, holding out a very large cup of coffee.

“You are forgiven,” Eddie said, grabbing the coffee and taking a long drink.

“For what?” 

“Everything.” Eddie grabbed his backpack and locked the door behind them.

Buck was still smiling as they got into the Jeep. “Everything is a lot, Eddie,” he said. “You sure about that?”

“Ask me again after I finish my coffee.” Eddie took another sip. “So where are we going?”

“Malibu Creek Park.” Buck pulled out onto the street. “You can take a nap on the way if you want.”

He could. But he’d rather stay awake and enjoy the company.

***

The park was beautiful—miles of tree-lined paths wandering along a creek that kept it from feeling overwhelmingly hot. Not that they weren’t sweating—though that only made Buck’s tank-top cling in all the right places—but Eddie was still comfortable when they stopped to rest on some flat rocks a few hours in. 

He was just about to pull a power bar out of his pack when Buck started unpacking his own bag—the size of which suddenly made sense. 

“What did you do,” Eddie asked, as he looked at the amount of food, “hire a caterer?”

Buck laughed. “No. There’s a deli by me that does morning orders for day trips.”

Still, that took extra planning and an even earlier start after 12 hours of work and dinner. And that didn’t even include the other dates over the past week. It was more effort than anyone had ever put into anything for Eddie, at least that he could remember. 

Buck handed him a sandwich—turkey and provolone on wheat, Eddie’s favorite. Eddie stared at it as Buck put out a few more things before sitting back to open his own sandwich. 

“Why are you doing all this?” Eddie asked.

Buck shrugged, paying more attention to his sandwich than it really deserved. “Well, it’s a long hike and we have to eat.”

“Seriously, Buck. What’s going on?”

Buck glanced up through his lashes, then dropped his gaze back to his food. “You’re not enjoying it?”

“I’m enjoying it,” Eddie said, leaning forward to put his hand on Buck’s calf, the closest point of skin he could reach, wanting the skin-on-skin contact. “All of it, not just today. It’s amazing.” Eddie took a deep breath. “You’re amazing. I’m just…I’m not used to all this…wooing.”

That earned him a laugh. “Wooing?” Buck asked. “Did you just get in from the fifties?”

“Wooing is still a word,” Eddie said. “And you’re avoiding my question.”

Buck bit his lip, as if considering his words for a moment. “My dad never really did anything for my mom,” he said finally. “He never brought her flowers or took her somewhere special or anything. She was just there to clean and cook and take care of the kids. I’m not sure he even knew she was a person, or even there outside of her daily function in our lives.”

He looked up. “Not that you’re a girl, obviously, but...you deserve to know you’re appreciated. Not just as Chris’s Dad, or an awesome firefighter, but as…as _Eddie._ ” He shrugged. “That’s all.”

It wasn’t so much that Eddie didn’t have the words to respond to that—it was more like there were too many words, all jumbled up in his head, and none of them wanted to come out in the right order. Or in any order that made sense. 

“Thank you,” he managed finally, but how could he put into words what Buck meant to his life? “When I came to L.A.,” Eddie said slowly, “I was excited for the challenge I knew that the LAFD would bring, and I was even more excited for all the opportunities I knew Christopher would have here. And that’s all played out even better than I’d ever hoped.”

Eddie cleared the sudden hoarseness from his throat. “But I didn’t expect you,” he said quietly, holding Buck’s gaze, wanting him to understand. “And you’ve been the best thing that’s happened to me out of all of it.”

Buck’s eyes looked a little wet, but his smile was so blinding Eddie almost didn’t notice. “Glad to hear it,” Buck said, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Because I’m afraid you’re stuck with me now.”

Eddie laughed. “There are worse fates, I suppose.”

“Yeah, well, see if you still feel that way after the climb we have ahead this afternoon.”

Eddie was pretty sure he’d feel that way fifty years from now, but he wasn’t ready to say that out loud.

***

The climb proved worth it for the view. By the time they got back to the Jeep, the sun was setting. “Dinner before we head back?” Buck asked.

“Yeah.”

They went to a beachside bar for a quick bite before heading back to L.A., windows down to let the ocean air in. Eddie studied Buck’s profile in the moonlight for a long moment before Buck looked over and smiled. 

“What?” Buck asked.

Eddie shook his head. “Just enjoying the view.”

*** 

They lingered by Eddie’s door, kissing, until Eddie couldn’t take it anymore. “If you’re not coming in,” he said against Buck’s lips, “then you’d better go now.”

Buck licked his lips, the tip of his tongue brushing against Eddie’s mouth as well. “Okay,” he said, with one more kiss. “But we’ve got Tuesday and Wednesday off. Do you have plans?”

“No.”

“You do now.” One more kiss. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Eddie watching him drive off before he turned and went inside.

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Comments cheer me up too...just sayin... 😁)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Remember this story? Well...I started having some more severe hip problems after chapter 5, which ended up in discovery of a birth defect and a rather early hip replacement for Christmas. So this kind of got stuck hanging in limbo. 
> 
> But it's done! Finally! 
> 
> Also, please note that the rating went to Explicit. Oops. :) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and that it was worth the wait if you read it back when it started.

No amount of questioning, prodding or even nagging would get Buck to tell Eddie what their plans were. Eddie tried at work, he tried through texts, but all Buck would say was, ‘You’ll have to wait and see.’

They were on the 210 headed toward San Bernardino when Eddie finally stopped asking, mostly because the number of locations were narrowing, given how much time they had, and if he was truly honest, he might be enjoying the surprise. 

After a few minutes of silence, though, Buck gave him a frown. “Okay, now I’m worried,” Buck said.

“Why?”

“Because you haven’t stopped nagging me once for two days, and now you’re suddenly quiet.”

Eddie shrugged. “I’m obviously not going to get it out of you.”

Buck’s frown deepened. “That’s it? You just give up?”

“Well…I mean, clearly it means something to you to surprise me,” Eddie said. “Why spoil that?”

The frown melted into that million-watt smile that Eddie loved to see, especially when it was directed at him. “Thanks,” Buck said softly. 

“No problem,” Eddie said. After all, this was an overnight trip. Which hinted at the possibility that he might actually get his hands on Buck for more than just some kisses at the door. He could wait for that.

If they got to their location and had separate rooms, though, Eddie might spontaneously combust.

“Hey,” Buck said, “did you know that there are literally more mini-Lego figures on Earth than there are people?”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, and the stuff they make them out of isn’t recyclable, so those little people are going to be around forever.”

Eddie shuddered. “I suddenly feel the need to be really careful not offend any of Chris’s Lego people, in case they ever take over the world.”

The rest of the drive was spent in discussion of random facts and tangents, as Eddie pretended to ignore the signs that made it clear they were heading for Big Bear. Instead of the resort, though, Buck pulled off the main road and made a few turns before pulling up to a small cabin. 

“Surprise!” he said, as he got out of the car. Eddie followed suit, staring at the view of the lake in the distance. 

“This is amazing,” Eddie said, turning to help Buck get their stuff out of the Jeep. “Though I’m not sure I packed anything warm enough for when the temperature drops later.”

Buck stopped, blocking the path and stopping Eddie in his tracks. “Actually,” Buck said, almost meeting Eddie’s eyes, “I might have gotten Pepa to grab a few things from your house while we were working.”

“Oh is that why she was laughing at me when she stopped by to drop off food at the station last night?”

“Probably, since she was really there to drop off your clothes.”

Buck looked so proud of himself that Eddie felt the need to lean in for a kiss, and then another kiss. “We should get this stuff inside,” he said against Buck’s lips. 

Eddie had to force himself not to shove Buck onto the bed and lock the door behind them when they dropped their stuff in the bedroom (the _only_ bedroom, Eddie was pleased to see). 

The fridge was fully stocked, so Buck made them both sandwiches. As soon as they finished eating, Buck ushered Eddie back into the Jeep. 

“Where are we going now?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Eddie laughed. “You’re full of those this weekend, aren’t you?”

Buck flashed him that grin that Eddie was helpless against. “Gotta keep you on your toes,” Buck said. “Otherwise you might get tired of me.”

“Never happen.” 

Buck’s smile was even wider as he glanced at Eddie again. 

The ride was short, but the views were amazing. The sun, sand and ocean were all a benefit of living in L.A., but this was a nice change. 

“A ziplining tour?” Eddie said, as they pulled into the parking lot.

“Yeah.” Buck parked the Jeep. “Best way to see the mountains.”

Eddie could only imagine. Except he didn’t have to, because he was about to see for himself. 

In almost no time they were standing at the first take off point, waiting to be strapped in. “This is so cool,” Eddie said, only just keeping himself from bouncing with excitement like he was Chris. 

“Yeah, well, it’s not exactly standing on top of a fire truck to catch a plane, but….”

“I’ll take this over that, thanks.”

They reached the front of the line and strapped in for breathtaking tour over nine different zip lines. Before Eddie knew it, they were on the way back to the cabin. 

“So?” Buck said. “What did you think?”

“It was amazing,” Eddie said, his hand finding its favorite spot on Buck’s thigh. “You’re amazing.”

Buck squeezed Eddie’s hand, then laced their fingers together. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

***

They showered—separately, to Eddie’s dismay—before dinner, Buck going first. Eddie found warmer clothes, as promised, in his bag. After his shower, he pulled on the jeans and burgundy Henley, but carried his warmer flannel shirt out in search of Buck.

The house was empty, as was the front yard, so Eddie went out to the back to find Buck spreading a large blanket out on the grass. “Hey,” Buck said, his smile bright. “You found the clothes?”

Eddie could only nod as he crossed the yard, because Buck, framed by the orange sky as the sun set behind him, smiling like that, made it hard to speak. 

“Good.” Buck waved to the ground beside the blanket, where various food containers sat with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. “I figured we’d eat out here and enjoy the view.”

Eddie cleared his voice as he reached Buck. “Oh, I’m definitely enjoying the view,” Eddie said, staring directly at Buck. 

Buck huffed a laugh. “Come on,” he said, pulling Eddie down onto the blanket beside him. “I’ve seen pictures of sunsets up here,” Buck said, “but it’s shaping up to be way better in person.”

The view of the sunset was, in fact, amazing, but Eddie’s gaze quickly turned back to Buck, watching his quick, smooth movements as he unpacked food. Eddie was probably more surprised than he should have been to see his own favorite foods in the spread. 

They talked as they ate, never wanting for conversation, no matter how much time they spent together. The level of wine in the bottle got lower as the sun did, until Buck had to turn on a lantern he’d brought out with him. 

When the bottle was empty and the food picked over, Buck put all the containers in a bag and turned off the lantern. “Lie down and look up.”

“Hm?” Eddie said.

“Lie down and look up,” Buck repeated, pulling Eddie onto his back at Buck’s side, their hands linked. Eddie looked up to see that there were stars everywhere. 

“Wow.” Eddie hadn’t seen that many stars since he’d left Texas. “This is…wow.” Eddie searched for a moment, then pointed. “There’s Aquarius. I remember being so excited when I finally learned how to find that one.” 

“I’ve always liked Perseus,” Buck said. 

Eddie smiled. “You would like the big damn hero.”

“Yeah,” Buck said softly. “I always do.”

Eddie glanced at Buck, to see him looking back. “This is amazing,” Eddie said quietly. “Thank you.” 

“Well, you said you missed the stars, so….”

Eddie’s chest tightened, the statement all but robbing him of his breath for a moment. That Buck would plan all this just because Eddie mentioned he missed the stars…. 

How was he even real?

Eddie rolled over, half on top of Buck, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. They were miles away from home and there was no door for Buck to leave him at tonight, and as much as Eddie enjoyed stargazing, there were other things he was much more interested in at the moment. 

He had Buck’s shirt halfway off when Buck stopped him, muttering against Eddie’s lips, “We should probably take this inside before it goes any further.”

“What, are we going to offend the stars?” Eddie asked.

“Well, no, but satellites have really good resolution, Eddie.”

Eddie laughed, rolling onto his back. “Right. Satellites.” 

“Besides,” Buck said as he stood, pulling Eddie up with him, “we wouldn’t want to offend the constellations.”

“Oh, definitely not.” 

After a few more kisses, they picked up the blanket and other supplies and took them in, dropping them just inside the door before they were on each other again, kissing and stripping their way through the house. Eddie had no idea how they made it onto the bed, but once they did, his one goal was to get Buck out of his clothes as fast as possible. 

He unzipped Buck’s pants, pulling them down with his underwear, but couldn’t resist the sight of Buck’s hard, leaking cock. Eddie’s hand had barely had time to wrap around it when Buck came. 

Just the sight of it was enough to send Eddie over as well. He slumped down on top of Buck, both breathing heavily through their shared laughter. When they’d caught their breath, Buck nudged Eddie and said, “Hey, Eds, I think you made me see stars,” and nodded at the ceiling.

Eddie managed to roll onto his back beside Buck to see a giant skylight in the ceiling of the bedroom with a clear view of the stars.

“I guess the spy satellites got us after all?” Buck joked.

Eddie stared at the stars, amazed and almost unbelieving that Buck did all this just for him. Eddie cleared his throat as he rolled onto his side, smiling down at Buck. “Let ‘em watch,” Eddie said, voice low as he leaned in for a kiss. “It’ll just make them jealous.”

He leaned in for another slow kiss, and then another, savoring the chance to take his time now that they’d taken the edge off. “Off,” Eddie muttered into a kiss, pushing at Buck’s pants, stuck somewhere around his thighs. 

“Yours, too,” Buck said, as he pulled away to get rid of the last of his clothes. Eddie followed suit, dropping his over the other side of the bed. He turned back to see Buck laid out on the bed in all his naked glory. 

The moonlight shining down through the skylight made Buck look even paler than usual, and his eyes look like something from another world. “Wow,” Eddie said. 

Buck’s eyes were roving all over Eddie’s skin. “Yeah,” Buck said softly. “Wow.”

Eddie rolled over onto his knees, crawling the few steps to settle in between Buck’s legs. He leaned down slowly for a kiss, his hands drifting down Buck’s body, memorizing each bone, muscle and scar it could find before settling at his waist. 

Breaking the kiss, Eddie’s mouth followed, his tongue tasting the goose bumps all the way down until he reached the hard, velvet smoothness of Buck’s cock. Eddie glanced up, the intense look on Buck’s face sending a jolt through his stomach and down his own cock. 

He’d planned on taking it slow, on teasing and tormenting, the way Buck had drawn things out with all the dates and the kissing and nothing else. 

But he couldn’t. Not yet. Not when Buck was looking at him like that, and not when he was about to get everything he’d dreamt about, day and night, for what felt like forever. 

“I,” Eddie said, voice low as he leaned down, “am going to make you scream.” 

He licked underneath the tip of Buck’s cock and felt Buck’s leg jerk beside him. “Wow, that sensitive?” Eddie teased, before doing it again. 

A strangled whimper was his reward, and Eddie looked up to see Buck practically biting through his bottom lip, still watching Eddie intently. Eddie kept watching as he licked around the head of Buck’s cock, the taste so much better than anything he’d been able to dream up. 

“Eddie, fuck, please….” 

“Not this time,” Eddie said. Even if they had stuff—which, they might, who knows what Buck packed—he wasn’t about to last that long. 

“Come on,” Buck said. 

Eddie bent down further, licking all the way from the base to the underside of the tip this time, his weight the only thing keeping Buck from coming clear up off the bed at that. 

“Please.” 

The word was barely a whisper, and Eddie looked up again to find Buck’s eyes hazy now, barely focused and yet still trained on Eddie. 

So maybe he’d wait until round three to get some revenge. 

Eddie ducked his head again, taking Buck fully into his mouth this time, using every trick in his admittedly limited repertoire to coax every sound he could out of Buck until Buck was tugging on Eddie’s hair, managing to get out, “I’m gonna—” 

Eddie pulled off, using his hand instead, only pulling a few times before Buck came with a strangled sound that sent Eddie over the edge as well. 

He flopped onto his back, hand finding Buck’s as they both caught their breath. After a moment, Buck tugged on Eddie’s arm until he rolled over, nose almost touching Buck’s bicep. 

“My turn next time,” Buck said, his voice a little hoarse. 

Eddie smiled. “Might need a little bit of a nap first,” he said, moving around until he’d made himself comfortable, one leg over both of Buck’s, and an arm slung around his chest, his head resting on Buck’s shoulder.

“You know, there’s a perfectly good pillow beside you,” Buck said with no heat whatsoever.

“Yeah, but I like this one better.” 

He felt the ghost of a kiss on his head as he drifted off to sleep.

***

Eddie stretched a little as he woke, careful not to dislodge the arm around him. It was just enough, however, as he felt Buck stir behind him. 

“Morning,” Buck said, kissing the back of Eddie’s head. 

Eddie rolled over until he could wrap himself around Buck and bury his head in the space between Buck’s neck and shoulder. “Morning,” he muttered.

Buck’s hand found its way into Eddie’s hair, carding through it in a way that made Eddie want to purr. “Sleep okay?” Buck asked.

“When someone let me.” Eddie smiled against Buck’s skin. “Do you think we could just call in sick the rest of the week and just stay here in bed until it’s time to go get Christopher?”

He felt more than heard Buck’s chuckle. “That would be nice, but I think the team needs us. Besides,” Buck added, “this isn’t just for this week, right?”

The lack of certainty in his tone had Eddie lifting his head. “No,” Eddie said, smiling down at him. “Definitely not. This is just the beginning.”

\--  
END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments feed the muse! ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Comments feed my soul :)


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